KEIR RADNEDGE in MANCHESTER: The investigative report into the scandal-enshrouded 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process should be made public, according to Jeffrey Webb.

The FIFA vice-president from CONCACAF – the central and north American confederation – made his demand for transparency today during the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester.

Webb was discussing FIFA issues and could not avoid the issue of ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia’s inquiry since Webb’s own predecessor as the head of CONCACAF, Jack Warner, was a central figure in the scandal.

Garcia’s confidential report has been handed over to ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert for a verdict and Webb was asked on whether the report should ultimately be published.

He said: “Yes, no question.”

Speculating on what might happen should Garcia and Eckert come up with breaches of the code of ethics and “if there is proven bribery or corruption” Webb suggested FIFA could either order a revote or “go to the runners-up.”

The latter solution for 2022 would create “no problem” for him since the one of his CONCACAF member associations, the United States, had been runners-up to winners Qatar in the decisive and last round of voting in December 2010.

FIFA has changed the voting system for World Cup hosts since then and, in future, the exco will recommend a shortlist of three candidates to a vote by congress.

Here, Webb wants an open vote with all 209 national associations making clear for which candidate they were voting.

He said: “I support going to the member associations for an open vote. We do this in CONCACAF for the sake of transparency. After all, it is not a personal vote but a vote by your national association.”

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